


the devil's dragon

by floralys



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Supernatural Elements, devil!mccree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-01 23:19:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16293815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floralys/pseuds/floralys
Summary: Of a devil, a dragon, and a deal between them.





	the devil's dragon

“What is it that keeps this wretched world spinning?”

 

The wooden floor creaked softly underneath the weight of a man’s footsteps. He walked slow, calculated circles around his victim, a poor soul who thought him to be easily deceivable. Who had come to his castle to walk into the dragon’s den and expect it to be trained and tamed. Yet here the fool lied by its feet. Beaten. Bloodied. Aware of his mistakes, but lacking the knowledge the dragon wanted him to have before punishing him for making such a vital mistake.

 

“Please, mister Shimada. You know I did not come here with ill intentions, I merely—“

 

_Will you continue to tolerate interrupting you like that?_

 

No.

 

_Good._

 

The fool learned that by receiving a swift kick to the chest. Steel-toed shoes created a lasting impact on his ribcage.

 

“It is a question that had been pondered over by many a great mind for throughout history.” His even voice reverberated throughout the room, and Hanzo Shimada stilled in front of his visitor to look down at his pitiful form, continuing his unperturbed lecture. “For centuries humankind squabbled over the answer. Everyone has their own, and they are entitled to their opinions.” His foot moved to lightly tap the man’s chin. He looked up, barely even being able to see through his blackened and swollen eyes. 

 

He arrived here just this morning. A westerner, hailing from somewhere in Europe, not truly aware of the power the leader of the Shimada clan possessed. For a short while he had been quite amusing with his propositions, but... the joke grew dull quickly. Hanzo’s time was valuable and he preferred not to see it wasted. 

 

Somewhere he knew he could not blame this stranger for his ignorance... 

 

_Yes, you can._

 

Though that did not absolve him of his errors. 

 

“Many people, including yourself, believe that it is money. And I must admit that for a long time I shared that thought. I realize that everything I acquired throughout my life is because of it. But I know the true answer. It is because of that knowledge that I have been able to uphold my reputation and build this empire that I own and run without ever even faltering. If it wasn’t for that, everything I have done would be meaningless.”

 

There was a short pause as he knelt down. Grabbing the man’s jaw with his gloved hand, he could see it shining in the small slits of eye still visible, how it welled up from a place deep inside.

 

“And now you know the answer, as well.”

 

“I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to do business and you - you just attacked me for no reason, you’re insane. You’re, you—“

 

His rambling was stopped by the distinct noise of a gun being cocked. 

 

One of the guards in the room placed the barrel of his weapon against the back of the man’s head.

 

The floor gradually soaked with more than just blood and the man’s pleas quickly dissolved into incomprehensible babbling. Hanzo gently pulled his hand away after giving his cheek one last, almost loving pat.

 

He left the room before the gunshot rang through the castle. 

 

_Why bother dirtying your hands on someone so unworthy of them._

 

As he strode through his halls Hanzo allowed one of his assistants to remind him of his upcoming tasks and other inane work that had been left to collect dust for far too long. When he had his fill of her rambling he only had to glower at the girl, watching her cower away and reminding him once again of that vital answer.

 

 

It is fear that rules the hearts of men. 

 

 

The Shimada name instigated that emotion in everyone that ever even heard of it. Hanzo could not say that he was not proud of that fact. At times it could be absurdly gratifying. Watching someone’s pride or self-righteousness wither away under the mere mention of one’s name was one of the most powerful things a person can ever experience.

 

At last left in the solitude of his office Hanzo approached one of the large windows to gaze out over the town of Hanamura and the gorgeous scenery surrounding it. The view was rustic, the scent of blooming cherry blossoms always helped in reminding him of the beauty of nature and more peaceful times that have passed.

 

This is where it all had begun. Where he came to know the answer. 

 

At the price of murdering his own brother.

 

_Beating that dead horse again, are you?_

 

Despite the constant reminders, the guilt, the nightmares and most importantly that one little voice in his head that haunted him - he could not tell whether or not he truly had any regrets of what had transpired that fateful day. There had been a very real chance of this empire toppling over would he not have done it. And whenever he had a second to himself his mind replayed the scenes over and over, asking one question he did not have the answer to. 

 

Was it truly worth it?

 

_You should know that by now._

 

Perhaps he would never find out.

 

Though Hanzo would always find it ironic that when he ended his brother’s life his own would finally begin from that point on.

 

Beginnings and endings seemed to be a recurring theme in Shimada castle.

 

New and more knowledgeable people came by, his network of business relationships expanding and reaching new heights. But then on the flipside were the many more lives that ended and would continue to end on these grounds.

 

Empires weren’t built on peaceful times. Hanzo knew it and capitalized on that to continue growing. Drug wars, dealing in arms, human trafficking. The criminal circuit continued to change and evolve, so the clan followed suit, catering to every highest bidder’s needs in order to keep up a healthy track record in the business.

 

It was known that he acted cruel and unforgiving. Whenever he did bother to leave his country and decided to grace a well-deserving colleague with his presence he always dressed in the finest of clothes. Suits in dark colors and matching ties complemented hisexpensive wristwatches and black leather gloves. His short hair was taken care of quite meticulously, almost always slicked back to keep his eyes free - except for one stubborn lock he had learned to accept would never bend to his will.

 

There were many who yearned for a closer relationship with him. He, by all means, understood their desires. He simply did not care for them, was all. The fact of the matter was that he could not spare the time for any frivolous pursuits and he had been undeniably married to his work for quite some time. His clan meant everything to him. He had given up too much not to make it succeed, to have it flourish and bloom into a state unparalleled by anything it had been in before.

 

And he ran all those endeavors from within the confines of this golden cage.

 

It would not come to him as a surprise if this were to be the place he would take his dying breath. 

 

Especially not when about a month later his home was under attack. After about an hour of fervent shooting between the assailants and Hanzo’s own manpower, he had learned they were some sort of powerful distant relative of the idiot he had killed before. 

 

The once so perfectly raked gravel outside had transformed into a bloodied mess. Dark red stained and trailed all the way back into the main building, coloring the floors and walls and accompanying the fitting sounds of screams and shootouts. Poetry in motion.

 

They inched closer to his office by the minute. Hanzo knew his time was running out. As he sat behind his desk, hands clasped together on the cold wood, he stared at his door waiting for whoever would come through first. The reckoning draws near,

 

What exactly was it that he was feeling now?

 

_You already know the answer._

 

It was mocking him now, seemingly aware of the situation. 

 

Knowing how it was going to play out.

 

No. It— He did not know. He stood above such emotions. He had always faced his problems head-on. This was not going to change today.

 

He’d agreed on that much.

 

His left hand twitched.

 

With a sharp intake of breath his right answered the call, gripping his wrist tightly as energy started to build up and coil in his ink. Many times he had called upon his dragon and it never failed to obediently carry out his commands. But right now it was different. This energy was sharp and static, quickly growing so restless that it almost became painful. 

 

“This is not the end.” He spat out, teeth gritting and his heart beating in his ears. Drumming alongside the footsteps that neared his chambers. 

 

 

_Isn’t it?_

 

 

With a loud crash the door gave way to the assailants. Faces Hanzo had never seen before. People of no importance, lacking reputation, possessing not even a single ounce of refinement. Stained with blood and faces twisted in rage. They had nothing on their simple minds but vengeance for that one life lost.

 

To think plebeians like them were able to defeat his own men, who had gone through a careful and rigorous process of tests and physical challenges to even join his ranks.

 

To know that they will be the harbingers of his demise.

 

He had not imagined his death to be like this. His mouth opened, to lecture or launch into a monologue, either of the two - not that it truly mattered. This was not a movie. This was his end. And his enemies wanted it to come swiftly.

 

The bullet came at him faster than he could even register it.

 

 

— — —

 

 

An unfathomable darkness welcomed him when he opened his eyes. 

 

A dream?

 

_No._

 

The silence was all-consuming. There was nothing. He was here, where, everywhere and nowhere at the same time, floating in an endless black space.

 

He did not breathe since he did not have to. His heart was not beating, so he could not listen to that, either.

 

Was this... death?

 

It seemed far too painless for that.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Something was... missing.

 

A hand grabbed a hold of his leg. 

 

Startling out of his thoughts, Hanzo looked down only to be met with the face of the man he had killed. It was decayed, rotting to the bone, and those eyes that had been filled to the brim with tears and so many emotions were now empty, unforgivingly staring straight into his soul. 

 

Another face welled up in the dark, and more started to emerge, all grabbing a hold of him with iron grips. 

 

“No.” 

 

All these men, women and children he killed. Directly and indirectly. Hundreds of them, surrounding him everywhere. Their hateful whispers now hissing in his ears. 

 

“No...”

 

There were so many. Too many. They pulled and clawed at him, tearing clothes and skin, drawing blood so dark it seemed like ink spilling over and merging with the dark encompassing him, swallowing his existence.

 

“Stop!”

 

He could feel it now. A panic rose in his throat. This must be the despair that they all must have felt in their own last moments. 

 

It was more than just being scared. It was an engulfing, petrifying fear that took hold of every muscle and now coursed through his veins. 

 

_Did you think there wouldn’t be any consequences?_

 

Not like this _._ He wasn’t ready. He had made too many wrong choices.

 

He was fighting them now, trying to pry their bony fingers off his person. Biting, kicking, screaming in frustration and pain. He had been promised so much more. It couldn’t end, he could not die, this— he—

 

With a gasp he filled his lungs to cry out one last, desperate time.

 

“THIS WAS NOT THE DEAL I MADE!!”

 

A flash of light.

 

And then there was nothing.

 

 

— — —

 

 

When his eyes cracked open this time Hanzo was convinced he had actually gone and descended into hell. 

 

The unforgiving bright red that enveloped him was too much to bear. For a moment he had to squeeze his eyes shut again. The deep breath he took made him aware of the sudden heat that accompanied this change of scenery. It resembled being in a sauna; the heat not stifling enough to cause difficulties breathing, but oppressing enough to irritate his nostrils whenever he did inhale.. The air was a lot less humid, however. More like a desert heat.

 

_A deal?_

 

The voice... no longer inside his head. It was around him, everywhere, echoing to signal the source being distant, but sounding like a whisper in his ears at the same time. It sounded different this way. Less like his own timbre. A lot less, in fact. It was rougher and somehow more intimidating than what he was used to.

 

_I like the sound of that._

 

Hanzo was able to gradually crack his eyelids open and finally take in his new surroundings. Once again he was weightless without a sign of a floor, wall or anything but this bright red color around - except for what seemed to be a blazing orange sun distantly floating in the sky, almost shimmering in this heat. 

 

“Who are you?” 

 

The dragon found his own tongue to demand to know the origin of the voice infiltrating his eardrums. Had it not been a figment of his own imagination for all this time?

 

“Show yourself.”

 

The silence stretched on. His watch had stopped ticking so he had no sense of passing time, but it felt like an eternity before his demand was met. Or, well... somewhat at least.

 

A horse suddenly came into his view and Hanzo hid his shock at its sudden appearance. Unlike himself it seemed to be walking on solid ground despite the lack of there being any. 

 

The beast was not normal. It was skin over bones, looking more hollowed out than the corpses from before, with long, ragged manes and tail. It was a solid black and lacked any shadow or even sense of depth to it - except for one eye. Its right one, that burned a fierce red as it bore into Hanzo’s. 

 

Was it looking into or right through him?

 

_I have many names. You’ve probably heard of a couple. Going over them all would be a waste of time..._

 

_Something you don’t like to do, right?_

 

The horse took languid steps as it circled him, its hooves clicking rather noisily.

 

“What is this place?”

 

_Somewhere in between._

 

“In between what?”

 

_Worlds. Dimensions. Space and time. Whatever you want it to be, darlin’._

 

“Can you be any more vague?”

 

Snorting at the man’s audible frustration, the animal didn’t seem to be bothered by his attitude, choosing to skip any other unnecessary banter.

 

_I’ve been followin’ you for a while now, Hanzo. There’s not much I don’t know ‘bout you._

 

“... Have you been in my head all this time?”

 

It did not answer. Hanzo took its silence as a confirmation.

 

“What is it that you want from me?”

 

_Oh, I don’t necessarily need anything from you. I’m actually much more curious as to what it is_ you _would like._

 

“What _I_ would like.” He echoed. Confused, but somehow also interested in what this entity had to tell him. It was impossible for him to be truly dead right now. This... thing. It came to him for a reason.

 

_Your life does not have to end here, y’know. Nor does the extent of your powers. Your dragon..._

 

It paused and halted beside him. An impossibly cold nose brushed against his arm, sparking up a sudden pain. With a hiss Hanzo flinched away, frowning deeply at the amused chuckle it elicited from the creature.

 

_That thing has run its course, don’t you think? You can do better. I can give you better._

 

“You can stop attempting to sweet talk me. What exactly is it that you can do?”

 

Its burning eye seared into Hanzo’s cold greys.

 

_I can give you another chance at life. More so, I can make your powers grow to an extent you wouldn’t dream to be possible. That’s what you like, right? Power. Especially over others._

 

As the horse continued its leisurely stroll Hanzo found himself in between a rock and a hard place. Somewhere he knew he did not want to die yet. It was basic human instinct to want to keep living. On the other hand he was aware that this… thing, it brought him here for a purpose. Surely it desired something from him in return.

 

This entity… 

 

 

It must be the devil.

 

 

Or something of that nature, at the very least.

 

And if the stories he had read in his childhood had managed to teach him one thing, it would be that one should not ever attempt to make a deal with the devil. Why would he trust this being? Why was he even listening to him in the first place?

 

_Because I brought you here, sweetheart. If it weren’t for me, you’d be well done for and six foot under by now._

 

Hanzo crinkled his nose. Could he not even have his thoughts to himself in here?

 

_Just consider this. All of your hard work has been futile. You've lost your men, your home. You would have various alternative routes, should you choose to accept my offer. Either you try and go through all of the effort to salvage who you were before, in vain. Or… you take a chance, and create a whole new life for yourself._

 

Another life.

 

_You don’t have to be stuck to the title you’ve assumed. You’ve seen it as a blessing when it has only been a burden on you for all these years._

 

A sharp pain rang through Hanzo’s head and he sucked in a labored breath, reliving the memory of the night in which he’d taken up the mantle of the Shimada clan leader. The pain he had inflicted, the life he had taken.

 

_Your life is your own. Not the clan’s._

 

There was a truth in the devil’s words. The life of luxury he had been leading had proven to be a marvelous distraction of the guilt weighing down on his shoulders. Was it really possible to escape it all? And did he _truly_ desire that? Would it not be easier to simply perish?

 

“And what is it that you want from me in exchange?” He spoke up after a couple moments of careful consideration. 

 

_Nothin’ much. Just your loyalty. You’re free to go wherever you want. But,_ the creature paused ever so briefly to lock their gaze with an unmatched intensity, _When I call on you, you answer me. No runnin’ off._

 

“That sounds conveniently vague.”

 

_It’s quite the opposite, actually._

 

“Then what is the consequence should I choose to ‘run off’?”

 

_Ah, don’t try and play dumb now. I’m sure you can take an educated guess._

 

Death, presumably.

 

“… I need… to think.” Hanzo murmured. Now he started to feel a little overwhelmed and unsure. 

 

_That’s fair. This place isn’t really helping, I suppose._

 

The horse calmly strutted off, leaving the other under the impression he was being given some time alone to really consider this offer as the sound of its hooves slowly echoed away. 

 

Just as the animal was out of sight whatever had kept Hanzo afloat seemed to disappear.

 

And he started to fall. 

 

His stomach lurched as he flailed and twisted mid-air, a scream bubbling up from his throat as his heartbeat quickly accelerated, not knowing where he would end up splattered on the ground; like a melon dropped from a couple stories high. A black dot appeared below him, growing larger at an alarming rate. Fast, too fast. With a shout he closed his just before impact. 

 

It never came.

 

His body was quaking with fear and adrenaline. He was curled up in himself as he was almost gently set down on a floor of some kind, leaving him completely unharmed. His palms met with cool metal and the dragon found it inside himself to finally open his eyes to take in his surroundings. At the moment he was sitting on a porch of some sort. The stairs leading up to it ended into the same red sky he’d just resided in. There was nothing else around, just… this shaggy-looking diner. 

 

After regaining his breath and stopping his hands from shaking Hanzo got back up to his feet. His steps reverberated throughout the space as he cautiously opened the front door. The atmosphere was completely different inside. A small bell rang when he closed the door behind him. Posters and pictures of all kinds littered the grimy walls. Dusty phone booths lined his path as he carefully rounded the front. Everything inside seemed to point towards this place just being a regular diner. From the ketchup and mustard bottles on the tables to the buzzing machinery behind the counter.

 

“You can take whatever you want if you’re hungry or thirsty. It’s on the house.”

 

The voice that interrupted his exploration had Hanzo turn where he stood. To the right there were a few old booths lining the wall, tinted light filtering through the large windows, staining the interior the same hellish red as the sky outside.. 

 

A man sat in one of the booths, his large boots casually resting on the table in front of him

 

He appeared to be the source of the voice now. It sounded a lot deeper and richer than it did before. There was a slight rasp to it, too. Maybe because of the cigar he could see flaring up in the shadow that the man’s hat cast over his face.

 

Hanzo wordlessly abandoned the counter to approach the man to slide into the seat opposite of him. Now up close and personal, he could take a better look at his face. It seemed deceivingly normal - although a little bit… unrefined. His beard was quite shaggy, his skin tinted by what must have been many years spent outside in the burning sunlight. He seemed around Hanzo’s age, too. Though he possessed more crows feet around his eyes and deep laughter lines.

 

“…. So you’re the devil.”

 

“Not what you expected, huh.” The man chuckled deep in his throat and took his cigar out of his mouth, placing it in an ashtray before lifting his mug. He took a single sip, scrunched his face, and tossed the mug aside onto the floor. There was a telltale crack and Hanzo glanced down - but where there should be a mess of shards and spilled coffee the floor was completely empty and… well, clean, to a degree. 

 

“I was levitating in hell just a minute ago. I am not expecting anything to make sense, to be frank.”

 

“Fair enough.” 

 

A short, pregnant silence fell. The man crossed his legs underneath the table - were those spurs Hanzo could hear? Why would the devil choose this kind of an appearance? 

 

“Is there a name I can call you by?”

 

“Jesse McCree.”

 

The straight answer almost took Hanzo off guard. Jesse McCree. How odd. 

 

“… Very well, McCree.” The named rolled off his tongue quite easily. It seemed to fit him. “You told me that you had been following me for a while. Beside that not being something to work in your favor, I cannot help but wonder why you chose to do so.”

 

With a knowing smirk the cowboy tapped the ash off his cigar. It was then that Hanzo noted one of his arms was a prosthetic. Did he have that for a reason? Why would the devil choose to take such an odd form? 

 

“You know that I’ve been with you ever since the night that you killed your brother, don’tcha?” The raw mentioning of what he had done made Hanzo tense up - but he refrained from interrupting the other. “When you made that decision and deal with your dragon I noticed your power. How determined you were to make things work.” His gloved hand reached for Hanzo’s. After a second of confused staring the same pain from before returned. It quickly grew more intense, his dragon writhing in protest as he nearly buckled onto the table. His arm shook as McCree pulled his hand back - taking the dragon along with him. Hanzo lurched back and let out a pained noise. “ _Stop!_ ” He finally roared and caused the other to let go. The dragon retreated back into his arm. Muscles fizzled and strained to contain the energy that was aching to be released. 

 

“Impressive. It’s gotten quite attached to you. That’s adorable.” Jesse took Hanzo’s look of disbelief in with a neutral expression. “Despite the beast not upholding to his part of your deal, you’ve used your power wisely throughout the years. You might’ve done some messed up shit with it, but you don’t abuse it. Know what I’m saying? I’d trust you with more. You’re smart. Loyal. Dependable. I need someone like that in my brigade.”

 

“You speak of me as if I'm a dog you're considering to purchase.” The dragon snapped as he held onto his wrist. 

 

“Now, don’t get all pissy with me. I’m offerin’ you a lot here, you should know that it comes at a certain price—“

 

“I am _not_ going to be your pet.” Hanzo countered immediately. No more pleasantries. “You were the one who decided to come to me, not the other way around. Obviously you want to profit off me. I have never tolerated that in my life before. I am not about to start off a new life beginning with that.”

 

The air inside had grown more hot and heavy as he’d spoken. There was an incredible tension almost electrifying the atmosphere. Despite the unreadable look on McCree’s steeled expression Hanzo could not help but feel threatened by the intimidating aura he was exhuming. He was most certainly irritated, to say the least. 

 

“… Alrighty, then.” The cowboy broke the silence with a huff, leaning back into his seat and lightly drumming his fingers on the table. The air cooled down ever so slightly. “In that case. You got any better suggestions, sweetheart?” 

 

Hanzo pursed his lips and decided to ignore the other’s usage of terms of endearment. He needed to play his cards the right way. Either he left this place alive…

 

Or it all ended right here.

 

“Give me the power you promised.” He spoke slowly and clearly. “Let me live my life. I refuse to have to follow you around and do your bidding for the rest of the years I will be given. But,” He had to raise a hand to prevent the other from interrupting, “should you truly be in need of my help, you can call for me in whatever way you might do so. And at the end of the ride, you get to collect my soul.” Pause. “If that’s how it works.”

 

There was a huff. A snort, and then a soft laugh. “In a way, yes.” Jesse conceded, lightly rubbing his temple. His face had softened into something more mellow. If Hanzo did not know any better he almost seemed a little fond. “What you’re offerin’ me is a lot less lucrative than what I had in mind. You realize that, right?”

 

“I do.”

 

“And it’s still either that or nothing.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

“Man. I knew you were stubborn, but doing stuff like this usually doesn’t take so long.” Exhaling a last puff of smoke through his nostrils, the man leaned forward to rest his chin on his hand and extinguished his cigar in the ashtray. “Then again, I’m usually not open for negotiatin’. I guess it’s my own fault to begin with.” 

 

For a short while the two men simply looked at one another. There was no more hostility between them, just… measuring each other up. Judging. Waiting. Hanzo knew what he wanted. It was up to Jesse to make the decision. Life or death, either would be fine, truly. Otherwise he would have been a lot more desperate. And the cowboy knew that.

 

There were still many questions roaming Hanzo’s mind concerning this entity. About this form he chose, the true reason for approaching him - for he did not believe a devil would be so honest with him so easily. Perhaps it was something else pretending to be the devil. And was he really given a special treatment like this Jesse McCree was telling him?

 

“… Alright.” The other grunted as he straightened up once more. “I’ll accept your terms, Hanzo Shimada. But only ‘cause I like you.”

 

Really?

 

“… That’s it?” Hanzo glanced down at the hand McCree held out to him. “I shake your hand. And the deal is done.”

 

“That’s generally how deals work, darlin’.”

 

“And after that?”

 

“I’ll take you right back up to the world of the living.”

 

“What about this… power, that you promised me. What is it?”

 

“Oh, you’ll see. It’s probably gonna involve your dragon, it’s not gonna be something very new or scary.”

 

“ _You_ don’t even know what it is going to be?”

 

“Well, I mean. I’ve got a general idea, at least.”

 

Hanzo clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. He really was going to jump headfirst into this, wasn’t he? 

 

_What else are you gonna do, partner?_

 

With a slight glare in response to the other’s cocky smirk the dragon finally extended his own hand. “Do not make me regret this.”

 

“You got a deal.”

 

Whatever Hanzo expected to happen when they shook hands didn’t occur. It was just a simple handshake. No… bursts of power, no searing pain, no sudden fall or flash or anything else. “Looks can be deceiving.” McCree hummed as he got up and out of the booth, gesturing for his guest to follow. “Speaking of looks, if you glance over at the counter you’ll see I got you some new clothes. Those tatters won’t do for someone of your stature.” 

 

Right. He was still roughed up from that encounter with the ghosts of his past. “Why did you not give me these up front?” Hanzo asked, a frown gracing his strong features as he examined the small stack of clothes. Dark and loose fabrics, yet still intricately decorated and quite luxurious, too. Not as… refined as he was used to, but… they would make do. 

 

“I s’pose I could. But you’re a good-looking man. I don’t know when I’ll see you again, I wanted to take a last peek at your incredible form before we part ways.”

 

“… Excuse me.” Hanzo’s dead-pan gaze was answered by a delighted laugh. “Aw, you heard me just fine, pumpkin. And I know about the poor, easily impressed souls you dragged into your den and nest.” The dragon tore his eyes off the other’s face to avoid the wink sent his way. Damn him.

 

Once dressed in his new outfit Hanzo could not help but feel like a different man already. The only thing left over was a long, golden sash that he could not yet add anywhere on his person. So he decidedly tied it onto the bow. It would serve as a grim reminder of the deal he had made. Jesse leaned against the counter, having lit a fresh cigar while his new business associate dressed up. “What’s this?” Jesse’s eyes followed to where the other pointed. Two large metal cases lied on a nearby table. “Open ‘em up, see for yourself.”

 

Hanzo cautiously approached the largest case, opening the clasps keeping it closed one by one and lifting the lid to reveal… 

 

“A bow.”

 

“And a quiver and arrows in the other.”

 

The weapon was larger and much more elaborate than his previous one. After having ditched his sword he’d become more than proficient in his archery skills. The bow in front of him would be his new best friend. The dragon turned to look at his patron, silently demanding an explanation.

 

“I believe you’re more than capable of puttin’ that thing to good use. More so than I can.”

 

“Hm.” Hanzo ran his fingers along the intricately put together wood, metal and ropes. Yes. This would do just fine. He calmly took out the sash and tied it to the bow’s handle. He equipped the weapons without much trouble, aware of the devil’s watchful eyes. 

 

“They suit you.” He hummed as he pushed himself off the counter. “Well. I must say it’s been fun to be in your head and watch you work. I’m actually glad we came to an agreement, believe it or not.” Jesse paused, smiled, and placed a hand on Hanzo’s back as he guided him towards the main exit. 

 

Wait. This was it? “So you will no longer be listening to whatever it is that is going on in my mind.” He murmured, looking out to the endless red expanse outside.

 

“Not as much as before at the very least.” His hand shifted over to his shoulder and his grip suddenly grew incredibly strong. The diner’s lights flickered off. A nauseating wave of dread washed over him and Hanzo looked at the man beside him with widened eyes. His right eye was burning. It stared at him with an intensity he’d never seen before.

 

“It could be days, months or years before we meet again, Hanzo Shimada. But don’t you dare forget who I am and what I did for you right here. One day I will come for you. What I’ll need from you, I don’t know yet. But you damn well help me out. I’ll warn you right now, there is absolutely nowhere to hide from me. D’you understand?”

 

With a scoff Hanzo regained his composure, brushing the other’s hand off and rolling his shoulder. “Please. No need to try and frighten me. I am well aware of what I am getting into. And if you really did follow and know me, you would not bother with these theatrics and realize that I have never in my life not held up my end of a deal.” He spoke calmly and placed one hand on the door handle. It took a second for McCree to step back and cross his arms. He no longer looked all that threatening. 

 

“… We’ll see about that when the time is right.” He concurred at last. The two shared a look Hanzo was not quite sure how to interpret. The deed had been done, there was nothing left but to see if the devil’s words rang true. “Until the next time we meet, Hanzo.”

 

The door opened and as he almost stumbled outside Hanzo found himself completely blinded by the scorching sun. With a soft curse he shielded his eyes, a heatwave almost attacking his senses. All sorts of smells and noises filled his nose and ears. There was smoke in the air and the clanging of metal all around. 

 

With a definitive click the door closed behind him, prompting the man to open his eyes and be shocked into reality. The _real_ reality. Life. Living. This was… The real world. Right? It had to be. He looked back over his shoulder. The diner was right there. Abandoned as ever. No sign of any other people around. 

 

After a couple of very careful steps onto the ground the realization dawned within. How much time had passed since his own ‘passing’, Hanzo did not know. But he most certainly was not at his home. He was in the middle of a canyon, with a demolished train wreck and tracks all around. He slowly lowered his body and knelt onto the ground just to feel it underneath his fingertips. 

 

An immense gratitude took a hold of him. A whispered prayer ghosted over his lips and he bowed down. He was _alive_.

 

_Try not to make me regret this, pumpkin_. The devil’s last hurrah.

 

“No need to worry.” Hanzo murmured, getting up on his feet and fixing his clothes. He was reminded of the vengeance in his killer’s eyes. Revenge… Yes. The prospect of finishing off his last stand properly was quite invigorating. 

 

His dragon responded to him, an excited crackle running through his arm. Something was different about him. He’d say it felt stronger but that was not really all there was to it. He recalled McCree’s words. Giving him more… Perhaps that was precisely what he did. 

 

Only one way to find out.

 

“I will make the best of the time I have been given.” 

 

And Hanzo Shimada never wastes his time.

**Author's Note:**

> this was honestly just a warmup drabble that grew out of hand lol
> 
> i might ? expand on this in between updating my other fic
> 
> \- - -
> 
> English isn't my native language. If there are any jarring grammatical errors please let me know.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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